Jason Old – Co-founder & Executive Director
Jason is a Spanish professor at Southeastern University and the Executive Director of CANFF. While playing soccer in the National Honduran Fútbol League from 2002-2004, Jason noticed the positive impact soccer can have in the lives of young people across the world. After coming back to the USA and completing a graduate degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of South Florida, Jason, along with Tony Rosado and Joseph Natale conceived the idea of CANFF. As far as Jason’s role with CAN Fútbol Foundation, he has done everything from logo and web design to sport and development model implementation. Jason’s passion for the sport of soccer itself and a desire to change the world through soccer has permeated CANFF in every aspect of the word and has been the driving force that helps it continue to grow, develop, and impact more lives across the world. Jason’s favorite soccer team is Club Atlético Boca Juniors.
Email Jason Old at jason.old@canff.org
Tony Rosado – Co-founder & Director of Volunteers
As Co-founder & Director of Volunteers, Tony is in charge of networking locally and cultivating local partnerships throughout the Tampa Bay Area. He also assists with international projects and initiatives. Tony works to improve the overall posture of CANFF, ensuring proper growth and development. Tony has been with CANFF since its conception in 2008. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Bio-Medical Science and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Global Health. He has played soccer since the age of five and has not lost the passion for the sport. Tony truly believes in the potential of CANFF and its mission to utilize the sport of soccer as the vehicle to make an impact in the lives of the world’s youth.
Favorite quote:
“Give a man a fish you fed him for a day, Teach a man to fish and you fed him for a lifetime.” –Chinese Proverb
Email Tony Rosado at tonyrosado@canff.org
Joseph Natale – Organizations Consultant
As the Organizations Consultant, Joseph lends his business expertise in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors to the directors of CANFF. Joseph has 28 years of experience in management consultation in the business arena. He has worked directly with Presidents, CEOs and Boards with organizations such as Verizon, AT&T, ORACLE, The Inter-American Development Bank, State of California, The United Way, Viral Genetics and Sea World. In 1985, Joseph founded a global, non-profit organization, Intensive Heart Ventures (IHV), which he is still the active president of. IHV is a Honduras-based nonprofit organization that supports micro enterprise, education, AIDS awareness, and development in the Bay Islands of Honduras. Through this organization and its’ affiliates, thousands of socio-economically disadvantaged people have been served and empowered to quality of life and self-sustenance. IHV’s infrastructure and Joseph’s knowledge of the intricacies of the nonprofit world have been instrumental in enhancing the CANFF business model.
Memo Echeverri – Volunteer Coordinator (Latin America)
Memo joined CAN Futbol Foundation, Inc. at the beginning of 2011. As Volunteer Coordinator for Latin America, he is responsible for overseeing the volunteer programs in Latin America in order to assure that things run efficiently and effectively CANFF. Moreover, Memo is the liaison between our on-the-ground directors in Latin America and the volunteer. He provides the volunteer with guidance and support during the volunteer’s internship or volunteership. Memo was born in Cali, Colombia and moved to the United States nine years ago. He has grown up playing soccer all his life and is passionate about using the sport of soccer to positively impact lives across the world. In addition to his nonprofit work with CANFF, Memo is also currently working for Citi Bank. He graduated from the University of South Florida in the fall of 2010 with a major in International Business and a minor in finance and he is planing to pursue his MBA in the near future.
Email Memo Echeverri at memo@canff.org
Stephanie Schroepfer – Writer & Public Relations
Stephanie Schroepfer, a graduate from Southeastern University, grew up loving sports and the Jersey coast. In March, 2011, while pursuing her BA in Journalism and Communications at Southeastern University, she began working with Public Relations team at CANFF and has been a dedicated member ever since. In the past seven years, Stephanie has expanded her media experience as a loyal staff writer for the Southeastern Times, an intern for News 12 New Jersey and a student producer for RAW TV Southeastern. Furthermore, as a CANFF public relations representative, she is one of the main sources of correspondence for donations, advertising, among other responsibilities. She also writes and arranges the content for the CANFF e-newsletter. Stephanie is enthusiastic about what CANFF is accomplishing for the underprivileged communities around the globe and continues to support the team to get it done.
Email our public relations team at publicrelations@canff.org
Tre Argerious – Fundraising Coordinator
Tre joined CANFF in 2010 after working in cooperation with the organization while he was a Refugee Specialist at the Refugee Youth & Family Program. He helps with the organizing, planning and coordination of fundrasing events and grant writing for CANFF. He works to improve overall program efficiency and coordination with other development and educational service providers. Tre graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Master’s in Public and International Affairs concentrated in Human Security. From his time working at RYFP he noticed the great influence that soccer can have on at-risk youth and the positive correlation that it has with social and academic excellence.
Email Tre Argerious at tre.argerious@canff.org
Kathy Wainer – Information Coordinator and Support Staff
Having been part of CANFF since its 2008 inception, Kathy brings CANFF extensive enthusiastic and forward thinking business ownership, management, and administrative experience enhanced by her skill and creativity in the visual and performing arts. She earned a B.S. degree in Music with a Religion Minor as well as a Master of Education with an arts concentration from Southeastern University and holds ministerial credentials.
Kathy believes in giving back to the community. In the past, she has touched the lives of incarcerated young men and women in the Polk County Juvenile Justice system through music and counseling. With CANFF, her main function is as our Information Coordinator; however, her contributions to the foundation also include other avenues such as photography, graphic design, editing, and finance management. Kathy also volunteers her time, talent, and resources in teaching music, art, and humanities to the Transition Group at Southeastern University. This dynamic and determined group of intellectually disabled adults (18-22 years of age) has graduated high school with special diplomas and is immersed in the university experience while gaining the necessary skills to be independent and successful adults. See www.kathywainer.com for more about Kathy.
Email Kathy Wainer at info@canff.org
Ben Cowherd – Coach and Volunteer Coordinator (USA)
Ben Cowherd is a former varsity-level men’s soccer player from the University of South Florida. Additionally, he has represented the U.S. on the U-23 National B team and has also played professionally in the USL A-league. As a product of the Bay area and Florida Youth Soccer Systems, Ben has a passion to share his wealth of experience and insight with youth soccer players. Ben has spent 20 years chasing the best methods and experiences with which to train aspiring student-athletes and with his recent creation of www.soccerscience.us, he has created an avenue to achieve massive results. Ben joined CANFF in February of 2011. He is excited for the opportunity to be able to share these coaching techniques with aspiring, young, student-athletes through his instructional videos and his work as a coach for CANFF. These coaching methods have allowed CANFF to bring elite-level training methodologies to clubs around the Tampa Bay and other parts of Florida.
Email Ben Cowherd at ben@canff.org
Robert Rivers – Coach and Volunteer Coordinator (USA)
Robert graduated from Southeastern University in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Broadcasting Communications and a minor in Religion. At Southeastern he was a member of the men’s soccer team. After college Robert briefly played at the semiprofessional level. He brings determination and dedication to the CANFF team, which he joined May of 2010. As Volunteer Coordinator Rob coordinates and organizes all domestic volunteering responsibilities. Along with this he also trains the local children in CANFF’s domestic programs in Hillsborough and Pinellas County Florida. Robert has a passion for helping youth reach their potential and achieve their goals.
Email Robert Rivers at rob.rivers@canff.org
Natalie Bicknell – ESL Coordinator
Natalie (M.Ed. University of South Florida) has been teaching English as a Second Language for six years and has taught at a variety of different schools and nonprofit organizations in the US and abroad. She currently teaches international students at Seattle Central Community College. Natalie became acquainted with CANFF through her work as Volunteer Coordinator for the Refugee Youth and Family Program in Pinellas County, FL. She was impressed by the mission and goals of the organization, and traveled to Honduras in the summer of 2010 to facilitate the development of an ESL program at the program site in Roatan.
Email Natalie Bicknell at esl@canff.org
Luis Alvarado – Director & Head Coach (Honduras)
Luis Alvarado brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to CANFF. Since 2008, Luis has been a vital part of CANFF Honduras. Luis uses the sport of soccer as the vehicle to work with the socially at-risk student-athletes of Roatan. Luis, along with Ramon Hernandez, represent CAN Futbol Foundation in Roatan, Honduras. Their responsibility as CANFF directors and coaches is to integrate as many underprivileged and at-risk youth as possible into our sport and development programs with the goal of helping them grow and develop properly as an athlete, a student, and as a good steward in their community using the power of soccer to make this happen. When Luis is not working with CANFF, he works with Club Deportivo Arsenal as a trainer for their reserve and youth teams. CD Arsenal is the Roatan’s first and only professional team.
Please send all inquiries about Honduras to info@canff.org
Joel Wao – Director & Coordinator (Kenya)
Joel is the director and coordinator of the CANFF Kenya branch. Joel joined CANFF in 2009 after Jason and Tony shared the idea and vision of CANFF with Joel. It was the knocking of ‘leather’ (soccer ball) with ‘good mood’ (happiness) and making sure that you play your heart out to perfection that made the trio stick together and learn more from each other. Joel is a soccer enthusiast right from childhood. He was born and grew up in Kanga, a rural village in Rongo, Nyanza Province (Kenya) where agriculture was the main source of livelihood. But during the first year (2001) in College, Joel realized the untapped soccer potentials that most youth possess while he was playing for the University of Nairobi (Kenya) Men’s Soccer Team. That was the catalyst that created the urge to start a small football (soccer) club in his village. It was not long before the small club attracted a wide spectrum of people from different areas of specialization in the region. It was at that juncture that an idea sprung up that soccer can be used as a tool to instill positive attributes to the world’s youth. Joel’s involvement has allowed CANFF to take its mission and vision to Africa and therefore empower more young people across the globe.
Please send all inquiries about Kenya to info@canff.org